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My Protein Fight Club Battle! My Journey to a Happy and Healthy Life One Glass of Milk at a Time #GotMilkGotProtein

I'm a spokesperson on behalf the Protein Fight Club Milk Mustache Campaign. I have been compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

With
the new year comes a new set of goals. Improve my eating habits,
become more active, and learn to make better choices when it comes to
food. A happyand
healthy
lifeis
based on balance. Adequate carbohydrate vs protein intake has always
been my biggest struggle so when the people behind The National Milk
Mustache “got milk?” Campaign contacted me to become a
spokesperson I couldn't say no. In full disclosure I'm the type of
person who drinks milk everyday so the opportunity to document my
journey, promote my love for milk and engage in a discussion about
developing a healthy eating plan with my readers really excites me.

The National Milk Campaign
has paired me with registered
dietitian Carolyn O’Neil, MS RD, author of The Slim Down South
Cookbook: Eating Well and Living Healthy in the Land of Biscuits and
Bacon. She is well-known by media and has experience working with Fox
Atlanta broadcast news, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and
other outlets. She has contributed her nutrition and culinary
connections to MilkPEP on multiple occasions.

We asked Carolyn about the benefits of
drinking milk to help fight the mid-morning crave, and how to make
small, healthy changes rather than dwelling on a number on a scale
and this is what she told us:

Starting the day
with a good breakfast that includes milk can give us a good dose of
energy. Unfortunately, many people neglect drinking milk in the
morning. Why do think so many people choose sugary, or empty calorie
drinks over milk?

Certainly one of the
most popular beverages in the morning is a cup of coffee. Coffee
gives you a lift from the caffeine and coffee does contain some
antioxidants. But that’s about it. What a lot of folks don’t know
is that when you make you cup of coffee a latte with steamed milk-
you can up the nutrition significantly. A 16-ounce latte provides up
to 40% of your daily calcium needs.

An eight-ounce glass
of milk at breakfast time, or anytime, delivers 8 grams of protein-
that’s more than an egg (6 grams protein). So whether you pour milk
into a bowl of cereal, make your instant oatmeal with hot milk
instead of water or enjoy it as a thirst quenching beverage with
breakfast- think of milk as part of your launch pad program for a
busy day ahead. Milk is one stop shopping for 9 essential nutrients
including: protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin D,
vitamin A, vitamin B12, and the B vitamins riboflavin and niacin.

I have friends
who rarely drink milk and can't seem to comprehend why I could
possibly enjoy having a glass of milk during dinner. Why is drinking
milk so important for children and adults?

Milk is one stop shopping
for so many health promoting nutrients. The nutrients
(calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D and protein) in milk help support
strong bones and teeth. Potassium in milk helps support healthy
blood pressure control.

Should people
avoid drinking milk if they're concerned about maintaining their
weight?

Certainly when
you’re trying to limit calories on a weight control diet, you need
to trim the fat where you can in foods and beverages. So, I recommend
choosing fat free or 1% milk. You get all of the 9 essential
nutrients with fewer calories per cup. Also, the protein in
milk-whether enjoyed as a beverage or used in a recipe- adds
satisfaction to meals and helps keep you feeling fuller longer. How
much protein does a milk serving have? 8 grams protein per 8 ounce
class of milk. Plus it’s high quality protein that our bodies can
more easily use to build and repair cells.

Is it okay to
drink chocolate flavored milk?

I love chocolate
milk. I choose low fat or fat free chocolate milk and what’s nice
is that now many companies are making chocolate milk (and that
includes chocolate milk for the National School Lunch program) with
fewer grams of sugar per serving. I say, if the chocolate flavor
makes drinking milk even more delicious- then yeah!

If a person is
lactose intolerant and is craving milk what can they do?

About one in ten
adults reports having a lactose intolerance and may experience
symptoms such as gas, bloating or diarrhea. But most don’t realize
that they can enjoy a small amount of milk with no symptoms. No two
people are the same so they can start small and see how it’s
tolerated. Lactose-free milk is another option and it’s real dairy,
just without the lactose. It provides the same essential nutrients.

How much milk
would I have to drink a day to get my full RDA of calcium? What about
kids?

About three cups of
milk per day for adults and four for children. Other dairy sources of
calcium include cheese and yogurt. There are 300 mg of calcium in a
cup of milk.

The Recommended
Daily Allowances (RDAs) for calcium intake is

9 to 18 years old —
1,300 mg/day

19 to 50 years old
— 1,000 mg/day

Over 50 — 1,200
mg/day

In the protein
fight video “Milk vs Orange Juice” why is it so important not to
swap milk for orange juice?

Both beverages are good choices when it comes to nutrition, but
they’re not equal. OJ is a super source of vitamin C, of course but
contains no protein or calcium. Milk provides 9 essential nutrients.
I say drink your milk and enjoy sliced oranges or half of a
grapefruit for breakfast too.

Whole milk or
skim milk? Which is a better choice and why?

It’s important to
limit our intake of saturated fats; and by choosing fat free ( skim )
milk or 1% milk- you’re reducing the amount of saturated fat in
your diet while still enjoying great milk nutrition.

What do you have to
say to people who never drink milk? Is it to late to start?

Try it in cooking
such as making oatmeal with milk instead of water; enjoying frozen
fruit whipped up in a blender with milk for a delicious smoothie.
It’s never too late to start drinking milk and it’s a healthy
addition to our diets as we age. The nutrients in milk have been
shown to protect our bones from osteoporosis.

Now that we are
starting a new year many people (including myself) are looking for
ways to eat healthier and loose weight. Can you give us some tips on
how to manage those irresistible food craving urges?

My new book, The
Slim Down South Cookbook embraces the reality that we all want great
tasting foods! But, with four smart principles you can enjoy foods
that are fabulous and figure-friendly.

S-
Savor the flavors of all foods. A luscious peach or crunchy pecan is
just as taste bud worthy as rich desserts or salty snack chips.

L-
Linger Longer. Be mindful of what you’re eating. Slow down a bit
and relax with the foods you love to up the satisfaction factor and
to avoid gobbling too much.

I-
Indulge a little. Yup! An important part of healthy eating for the
long haul is learning to indulge in proper portions or limiting rich,
creamy, cheesy, sugary foods to ‘once in a while occasions.’

M-
Make it Happen! Use your grit and grace to stick to your guns. Lace
up those running shoes and hit the park. And use your grace to say
‘no thank you’ to second helpings. “No thank you but…Oh but
I’d love to have your recipe!”

I'll continue sharing with you aditional tips, recipes, and my protein fight club battle progress. Please consider taking the Protein Fight Club pledge by sharing the above
image to you social media and following the protein fight club on the
following social networks: